1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a shoulder cradle useful for violins, violas and similar stringed instruments intended for support on the shoulder of the musician. More particularly, it is concerned with an ergonomically configured shoulder cradle which includes a resonance chamber to enhance the quality of the sound generated when the stringed instrument is played.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Violins and other stringed instruments produce tones when a bow is drawn across the strings, known as arco, or when the strings are finger-plucked (pizzacato). As used herein, xe2x80x9cviolinxe2x80x9d is intended to include similar instruments such as violins of reduced size, such as half or three-quarter sized violins, and violas, where the instrument is typically positioned between the shoulder and chin of the musician. The violin produces a sympathetic vibration between the instrument""s belly and back, which adds volume and resonance to the sound produced by the vibration of the strings. A chin rest is typically provided adjacent the tail piece between the between belly of the violin body which provides a support between the musician""s chin and the violin body.
Shoulder rests have sometimes been used between the violin body and the musician""s shoulder. In the simplest form, the cushion includes a small fabric or elastic cushion which if held between the back of the violin body and the shoulder of the wearer. These shoulder rests help to support the violin against the shoulder of the wearer whereby the hard wooden back of the violin is separated from the musician""s shoulder. However, they have lacked features which would inhibit the violin from slippage on the shoulder and which promote proper playing position. Further, the shoulder rests of the prior art have not contributed to the quality of the tones produced by the violin except insofar as the rest contributes to the comfort of the musician and thereby improves the performance.
There has thus developed a need for a violin shoulder cradle with improved ergonomics in adding to the comfort of the musician during the performance.
There has also developed a need for a violin shoulder cradle which while supporting the instrument on the musician""s shoulder, improves the resonance of the tones or sounds produced by the instrument.
These and other objects of the present invention are largely met by the violin shoulder cradle of the present invention. That is to say, the violin shoulder cradle hereof not only inhibits slippage of the instrument from the musician""s shoulder and promotes the maintenance of the violin in the proper playing position, but further is ergonomically configured for comfort and precise conformation to the shoulder of the musician, minimizes the possibility of damage to the violin during coupling and decoupling, provides an attractive appearance, and improves the quality of the sound or tones of the violin when it is played.
Broadly speaking, the violin shoulder cradle hereof shares many of the same features shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,044, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, in that it includes a base having a foundation body mounting a pad, the base further mounting gripping legs for coupling and decoupling to a violin without the necessity of tools. The body is especially configured to present an upper surface and a lower surface in use, two longitudinally spaced ends and a proximate edge and a remote edge. The terms xe2x80x9cupper surfacexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clower surfacexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cproximate edgexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cremote edgexe2x80x9d are herein intended to refer to the relative position of the surfaces when the violin shoulder cradle is mounted to a violin and in place on the musician""s shoulder. The upper surface may be relatively planar or of any other configuration compatible for mounting in a facing relationship to the violin, whereas the lower surface is contoured and thus configured for the comfort and proper positioning on the shoulder of the musician. A waist of reduced thickness between the upper surface and lower surface of the foundation is positioned intermediate the two ends to facilitate the comfort of the musician and proper playing position, while the lower surface includes one or more stepped shelves. The stepped shelves, covered by the pad, engage the musician""s shoulder and clavicle, thereby providing levels of engagement in contrast to a surface without such shelves which is prone to slippage and less likely to yield proper positioning of the violin in use.
Additionally, the arms coupled to the base extend laterally to firmly grasp the instrument, thereby providing a solid and unitary platform to rest on the musician""s shoulder. At least one of the legs is yieldably and thus adjustably coupled to the base to permit the musician to not only accomodate differences in size of the instrument but further to avoid damage to the instrument during coupling and decoupling. The cradle will enable the musician to be more relaxed during performing, thereby accomodating good technique and allowing the musician to comfortably play longer and better.
In preferred embodiments, the foundation of the base includes a shell defining therein a hollow resonance chamber. The resonance chamber enhances the depth and quality of the sounds and tones of the instrument in that the foundation is positioned closely adjacent the back of the instrument so that the resonance chamber contributes to the resonance without altering the pitch of the sounds. The foundation preferably includes at least one port in the shell to allow passage of the sound from the resonance chamber. The at least one port provides an additional advantage, in that it permits that portion of couplers which connect and attach the legs to the foundation to be positioned within the resonance chamber while a leg passes through the port, thereby contributing to the appearance of the shoulder cradle and enabling the positioning of resilient cushions to placed between the foundation and the back of the instrument.
These and other advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the drawings and description which follow.